Oh, For the Love!
by Juze
Summary: Edward wakes up to find himself in a hospital with no memory. Is he better off in the dark, not knowing about Bella's betrayal? Alternate ending for For the Love of Emmett, but can stand alone. Fluff and nonsense. O/S


**Oh, For the Love!**

Pain.

Throbbing, blinding, searing pain.

Even behind my closed eyelids, the pain found me. It was the first sensation that my mind recognized. The synapses were firing agonizing messages in my brain, now no longer blissfully unconscious.

The soft sound of murmuring voices was the second sensation to register in my sluggish brain. Voices that I somehow knew should be familiar, even though I couldn't identify them.

The third sensation I registered was that one of my hands felt warmer than the other. Concentrating on that hand, I noticed that it was also heavier. Someone's hand was holding my own, warming it and pressing it slightly deeper into the surface I was lying on. Even though I had no idea whose hand it was, I felt comfort and love emanating from the touch. I had to know who it was. I knew that it must be someone important to me. _Why do I have a fuzzy spot when I think of who it might be?_

Cracking open one eyelid, I immediately shut it against the intruding brilliance. Steeling myself for another attack, I tried again. The second time my eyes fluttered, I heard a gasp from somewhere across the room. The hand that held onto mine tightened its grip. After a few blinks, I was able to start making out blurred outlines. A few more blinks, and my surroundings began to come into focus.

The first place I looked was towards the person who was holding my hand. The sight nearly made me forget how to breathe. Sitting just a foot away from me was an unbelievably beautiful girl. If it weren't for the pain, I might have believed it was an angel come to take me to heaven.

Noticing that I was watching her, the angelic creature gave me a watery smile before tears started rolling down her porcelain cheeks. The sight distressed me, and I tried to raise my free hand to wipe away her tears, but found that my arm may as well have been made of molten lead for all that I was able to move it. Instead, I managed to weakly squeeze her fingers in what was hopefully a calming gesture. In response to my efforts, she started to cry more, but her smile grew larger.

A voice to the other side of me drew my unwilling attention away from the girl. On the opposite side of the bed were several people. There was a large teenage boy standing next to a very pretty blonde. Sitting next to me was a woman who was crying, just like the girl whose hand I still held.

The faces of everyone around me held one common element. Concern. They were all worried, and my instincts said that it had something to do with me. I wanted to ease their fears, but two things stopped me. For one, the pain made it obvious that I was not really 'fine,' and the second reason was that I had no idea who these people were.

"Who are you?"

The question slipped out, almost unbidden. The reactions from the people in the room with me might have been humorous had the situation not been so serious. As if rehearsed, all of their jaws dropped and their eyes widened simultaneously.

The woman next to me spoke first. "Edward? Are you saying that you don't know us?"

Edward? Who's Edward? Oh! That must be my name. Huh. Funny, I don't feel like an Edward. Weird.

Realizing that I had not answered the woman while lost in my ramblings, I shook my head. Big mistake. Immediate pain began to shoot along my spine. Grimacing, I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for it to pass. When it did, I opened my eyes to a room full of strangers, all who were now staring at me in various degrees of shock. It was a bit unnerving.

"Edward?" This time the voice belonged to the brunette beauty beside me. Her voice sounded familiar, though I was still unable to place it.

"Don't you remember me?" A flicker of hurt danced across her face. _And now I've made her sad. Way to go, hotshot! And now I'm talking to myself. Not only talking, but arguing. Should I be worried about that? Wait, focus! Beautiful Girl is crying because you don't know her! Say something!_

"Umm…I'm sorry?" _Nice save. She's practically in Disneyland for all the joy you just gave her. Shut up._

Incredibly, the hurt changed to piteous understanding. Fortunately, it was paired with her softly stroking her fingers along my arm, so I didn't mind too much.

"Edward," _yes, my love? _"It's me, Bella."

Ah, so the beauty had a name. Bella. Fitting, considering it meant 'beautiful.' _How the hell do I know that when I don't even know my own name? Oh, right, it's Edward. Ugh. What a name._

"Bella?" I tried the name out. It tasted like honey when I said it. _I wonder what _she_ tastes like. Great, I'm a pervert too._

They all went around the room, introducing themselves to me as: Emmett, my brother, Esme, my mother, and Rosalie, my brother's girlfriend. Bella had left off her relationship to me. _Please, oh please don't be my cousin or half-sister or something like that!_

During the next hour, they tried to fill me in on some details about my life. My name was Edward Cullen, I was a senior in high school, I was seventeen, I attended Forks High, and the list went on and on. It was like hearing someone's resume read aloud, only the person that they were supposedly talking about was me.

Eventually, they got around to the reason why I was in the hospital. Why I couldn't remember anything. The best they could figure out, I was walking in the woods when a large animal, they thought it might be a wolf, attacked me. Strangely, it seemed that the animal did not intend to eat me, just toss me around like I was a giant rag doll. Fortunately, another hiker saw me just as the wolf lost interest and ambled away, leaving me for dead. _Damned wolves!_ He was able to get me much needed medical aid, but not before I had become severely concussed from all of the tossing.

The doctors speculated that my amnesia was due to brain swelling and trauma, and that the memories had a chance of returning. It was also possible that I would never remember.

All of this information was helpful, but it did nothing to inform me on the situation between the beautiful Bella and myself. Finally, a nurse came in announcing the end of visitor time, and they all shuffled out.

"Bella." I called her name as she reached the door. Hesitating, she turned around, walking back towards me when I raised a tentative hand towards her. When she reached me, she reclaimed her spot beside me.

"Bella," I had to ask. "What are we? Are you my…girlfriend?"

I didn't understand the mix of longing, sadness, and joy that I saw in her face.

"That's a bit of a tough subject, but yes, I guess you could say that we are dating." Shyly, she glanced up through her lashes. If I had not been securely settled on the bed, I might have fallen off from the force in that look. I felt like the witch in Oz. _I'm melting! Geez, get a grip!_

Hearing that we were dating, that she would date me, made my heart skip a beat—a fact that was betrayed by the beeping monitors I was hooked up to. Blushing a bit, I smiled at her, chagrined. _Wait! What did she mean that it was a tough subject? What could possibly be tough about being with this incredible girl?_

So, I asked her. "What do you mean about it being tough? I can't imagine anything tough about being with you." Now it was her turn to blush.

"Well, it's a bit tough because we've, uh, been going through a …rough…patch lately."

Silently, I prompted her to elaborate.

"Well, you see, it all started with this stupid plan that my friend, Alice, and I came up with." She proceeded to tell me how they had schemed to get close to my brother, Emmett, by having her pretend to date me. Then, she slipped, saying my brother's name at a very inopportune moment. The whole plan came out in the open, with major repercussions. She said that I had been hurt, and that she has been trying to earn my trust back ever since.

"All this time? You've been there just waiting for me to forgive you and trust you again? Why would you bother?"

Her face fell. "I know. I guess it is a bit of a lost cause, but I always hoped that one day you might be able to look past it and that we could begin moving forward."

"No, I meant, why would you waste your time waiting for me? You're incredible. I guess I can't fathom you wanting to be with me that much." A wave of awe spread over her features.

"You mean you're not mad at me?"

"Of course not."

"Even after all of the things I just told you? Even though you know I lied to you?"

"Bella, I think you've paid your dues if even half of what you told me is true. Trust me when I say that I'm not mad at you. A little bit at myself, perhaps, for hurting you, but definitely not at you."

"So, does this mean you trust me now?"

"Honestly I don't see how I couldn't. Think about it, you didn't have to tell me what happened, but you did. Even when you weren't sure how I would react. How can I not trust you after that?"

Great, I made her cry again. Does she always cry like this? Maybe she has something in her eye.

Then, to my pleased surprise, she leaned over and gingerly kissed me. I longed to reach up and pull her closer to deepen the contact. _Hey, why aren't I doing that? Oh yeah, horrible wolf mauling recently._

After a timeless moment, she pulled away gently. Involuntarily, I whimpered a bit in protest. _Real manly there, whimpering like a lost child._ Smirking, a wicked glint appeared in her eye as she leaned back into her seat.

"Later."

*****

Over the next week, Bella visited me every day. She seemed even more thrilled over my progress than I was, though I had no idea how, seeing as I was anxious to get my strength back to engage in more…physical…endeavors.

With each visit, she revealed a little more about who I was. My parents and my brother were often there as well, and they helped fill in the gaping hole from before I met Bella. As Bella rarely left my side, it was inevitable that she was often in the same room with me as my family. I could not help but notice an incredible tension whenever she and my brother were in the same room. I knew that she had said he hated her, but it was still shocking to see the hate so clearly written on his face directed towards my precious Bella.

During one of his visits, I waited until Bella stepped out to go get a soda. Then I pounced.

"What the hell is your problem? Why do you keep glaring at her like you hate her?" My brother stared at me, his face a mixture of pity and disbelief.

"I didn't want to say anything until you were feeling a little better, but Bella is bad news for you." Even though I could see his reluctance to hurt me, there was a sense of relief in his words, as though he was finally able to say that which had been building up for far too long. "She's a liar," he finished.

"Why? Because she tried to get to you through me, and it didn't work? Are you mad because she lied, or just mad because she chose me over you?" _Ooh! Score one for me!_

"No!" he protested, shocked. "I just don't want to see her hurt you again."

"Don't worry about it, she won't." We both leaned back, engaging in a staring contest until he finally blinked. Huffing, he stood and stomped out the door. _What a poor loser._

When Bella came back, she looked around cautiously for Emmett, but didn't see him anywhere. Once convinced the coast was clear, she entered the room fully, gracing me with her beautiful smile. Handing me my soda, I vowed to go to any lengths necessary to see that smile as often as possible.

*****

Being discharged from the hospital was one of the best moments of my life…I think. It was certainly one of the best moments since I'd awakened—aside from every moment spent with Bella, that is.

After a bit of persuading, I convinced my family to allow Bella to bring me home that day. The slightly breathless experience that happened every time I saw her after some time had passed was expected. Her beautiful smile was expected. Her behemoth of a rusted truck was unexpected.

Staring at the thing, I was very reluctant to climb inside. _Maybe I should have gotten a tetanus shot before I left. Lord knows I'll need one after coming into contact with that thing._

My beautiful Bella was standing prying open the passenger door for me, as I was still limited in my mobility. After successfully wrenching the door open, releasing a cloud of rust particles, she turned to give me her smile once more. Only this time, it seemed that she was smiling out of affection, and _pride?_ _Why would she be proud of such a car? Maybe I can talk her into getting a new one. Or maybe I could buy one for her! Wait, do I even have any money? Do I have a job somewhere? How can I ever support her if I have no money, no job, and no memory? Damned wolves!_

As I was lost in my mini rant, Bella had come up next to me and was gently guiding me into the car. It was a good thing I was so distracted because I didn't fully realize what was going on until I was already seated. Sighing in resignation, I figured it for the best. It may have been a wretched car, but my options were pretty limited. _Maybe I shouldn't have insisted that Bella drive me home. Esme has to drive a better car than this._

That train of thought ceased when I saw her beaming face. The smile had not slipped from her mouth since she had arrived to pick me up. No, I'd even suffer the risk of lockjaw just to be near her and see her smile.

*****

Adjusting to school life was difficult. Were it not for seeing Bella in between classes, I might have insisted on being home schooled for my last few months before graduation. _Hmm, home schooled with Bella. Now there's a thought. _

As it was, every student that attended the school was anxious to hear about what had happened with the wolf. Once I told them that I had no memory of the event, or anything preceding it, the pursuit grew.

I found that the morals among my peers were severely lacking. Some tried to intimate that we were closer friends than had been reality. Others hinted that we had some kind of homework arrangement, as I apparently got good grades. The most distasteful were the girls who tried to make me believe that I had once desired them.

Bella found me after a particularly harrowing experience with some girl named Lauren, or Warren, or whatever. The girl had spun some story about how we had been flirting for years, but she had finally given in and that we had been dating for the last two months.

Not having concrete memories to dispute the issue, I only had the knot of disgust that churned in my stomach to provide some basis of doubt. Just as I was wracking my brain as to how best escape the blonde, my sweet Bella came to my rescue. Her method of salvation may have been blunt, but it was effective nonetheless.

"Fuck off, Lauren. He's never dated you, been interested in you, or even looked at you. Now leave him alone." And with that, she tucked her arm around my waist possessively and led me away.

"Thank you," I told her, once we were out of earshot. "I wasn't sure how much more of that I could take."

"I know," she smirked. "I was watching when she cornered you. You know you're very cute when you're uncomfortable. You start to squirm and get all shifty eyed."

"You mean you knew she was torturing me and you just stood there and let her? Unbelievable. Remind me why I put up with you?"

"Because you love me." The smirk was still there.

"That I do," I affirmed, leaning closer. Bypassing her lips at the last second, I turned to her ear. "But if you ever leave me to the clutches of that girl again, I'm trading you in for a girlfriend who _will_ protect me."

Giggling, she nodded. "Deal," she agreed before claiming the kiss that I had denied her.

*****

Over the next few months, I found things slowly becoming more familiar. It was not yet the familiarity that came from remembering, however, so much as it was becoming familiar over repeated exposure. My life had become an endless moment of déjà vu.

For her part, Bella was doing her damndest to jog my memory. Together, we revisited my formerly favorite haunts. We walked all over the school and the surrounding area, scoured the library, and even took endless walks in the woods. For some reason, we never stayed on the paths. Hen I asked her about it, she just shrugged and said that it was something I liked to do.

It seemed serendipitous, therefore, on the day that we stumbled upon a beautiful clearing. It was truly breathtaking in its beauty. Beside me, Bella also stopped to gasp at the sight before us.

"We found it," she whispered. _What? Found what?_ Noting my quizzical expression, she elaborated. "We've been here before. Only once."

Her voice dipped down, taking on a touch of melancholic remorse. Nudging her chin up, I wordlessly pleaded with her to continue.

"It was here. Where I screwed everything up." I knew then what she was referring to. This must have been the place where I first found out about her plan to steal my brother away from his girlfriend. It was here that she had called out _his_ name while we were kissing.

Shoving down the feelings that rose at the remembered story, if not memories of the event itself, I determined to reclaim the area. This was _my_ place; mine and Bella's. Folding her roughly into my arms, I stared firmly into her eyes.

"I think it's about time to make a new memory here then. Don't you?" I barely registered a shiver of anticipation that trilled through her body before my lips were claiming her own. Maybe I couldn't remember that last kiss, but I would sure as hell remember this one for the rest of my days.

Walking her backwards, I pressed her into the trunk of a nearby tree, my hands still grasping her waist. Sliding one hand up, I let my fingers tangle into her long hair, gently tugging on it. My lungs were screaming for air that my lips were reluctant to spend time procuring, but eventually the need to breathe won out. Sucking in a deep breath saturated with her scent, her name floated out of me, drifting along as a sigh.

I could feel her pulse stutter in her throat as I busily nuzzled the soft skin that was there. Then I heard it. The most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

"_Edward."_ My name came out as a moaning sigh. My name.

Suddenly, images flashed in my brain, nearly too fast for me to comprehend them all. Bella and I in the same meadow, but that time Bella called out Emmett's name. Myself walking away, leaving her crying behind me. The torture of having the entire school turn against her. Bella meeting me between my classes, begging me to believe her, telling me she wasn't giving up on us. The confrontation in the woods, the beginning of our fresh start. It was all there. Every single memory, the good, the bad, and the ugly, were back with clear recall.

Gasping, I pulled back, shaking my head slightly at the unexpected onslaught of images. When my eyes refocused, I saw Bella staring at me with a confused and slightly worried expression. Exuberant, I once again swept her up, twirling her around for good measure before setting her feet down and kissing her again.

"I remember! My memories, they're back!"

Her face instantly lit up in matching joy before a trace of apprehension settled on her face. "That's great, Edward! See, I told you they'd come back eventually."

"Bella? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she said, a little too brightly. "I'm just so happy for you."

"Bella," I warned. "I specifically remember us promising not to hide anything from each other, even to spare someone's feelings. Now come on, tell me what's wrong."

Chewing on her bottom lip, I watched her process my words. I could see the moment she surrendered, releasing her lip and lowering her shoulders.

"I guess I'm just worried about how this is going to change things for us," she mumbled.

"How could this change anything?" _Seriously, what is this girl thinking? Am I ever going to figure her out?_

"Well, you remember now. Everything. Aren't you mad?" If her words weren't so serious, I might have laughed at how fucking adorable she looked right then. It was like a little girl expecting a scolding. _Hmm, maybe she needs a spanking. Hey, focus! Sad girlfriend at twelve o'clock you perv!_

Caressing her cheek, I tipped her face up so I could see her eyes. "Bella, I'm not mad. I thought we'd already settled this. I'm not mad about what happened. If it brought me to you, it was worth it. I love you. Nothing is going to change that."

Tremulously smiling, she sniffed back her tears and leaned towards me. "I love you too."

No more words were spoken as we resumed our activities of rechristening our meadow.

*****

My family was ecstatic over my reclaimed memories. My mother, Esme, began chattering nonstop about birthdays and family gatherings that I had a feeling I wouldn't have remembered even before the wolf mauling. Carlisle, my dad, settled for just a refresher course on the basics of life, spending extra focus on my relationship with Bella. Emmett's reaction was…different.

"How are things, now that you remember all the dirty little details?" he asked sardonically.

"Couldn't be better," I shot back. "It's not like anything has changed."

"Really? Nothing has changed? I thought remembering what Bella did to you might have gotten you to see things clearly."

"Oh, I think I see things pretty clearly as it is." My blood pressure began to rise at his unrelenting hatred of Bella. "I'm in love with Bella. Nothing is going to change that. So that leaves you with two options: accept it and move on, or continue to act like an ass and never see either of us again after graduation."

Emmett looked a bit taken aback at my harsh words. Clearly, I had hurt his feelings. _It's his own fault! He shouldn't have been attacking her!_ I tried to argue with myself. _Well, he is my brother. Maybe I should have been a little more patient with him. He's just trying to look out for me after all. Well, trying to look out for me does not entail attempting to keep me away from the one I love most in the world! True, but he doesn't know that._ Ugh, the dialog in my head was giving me a headache. _Have I always had such a problem with voices in my head? Better not admit that. It's still not too late for them to have me committed, after all._

While I was lost in my own little diatribe, Emmett had apparently been having an inward battle as well, because the next thing I knew, his shoulders were slumped and his head was hanging in defeat.

"Alright. You win. If she's really that important to you, I'll try to get over my own feelings and be happy for you. Just please; don't cut me out of your life. You're my only brother. I love you, okay?"

If we had been an especially touching or emotional family, I might have given him a warm brotherly hug. I might have tearfully assured him that there was no way I'd easily surrender my brother who had looked after me and guided me my whole life. Maybe I even would have sat down and had a heart to heart with him for hours.

Good thing we weren't from an especially emotional family.

As it was, I punched him lightly on the shoulder, told him 'no worries,' and left it at that. In that moment, we were good. He laid off of Bella, and I allowed him more access into my life.

Over time, it became easier and easier to hang out with my brother and our respective girls. With time and prodding from us, the girls even began to become cordial towards one another. By the time graduation loomed near, they were even amicable. They would probably never be close friends, but being able to sit in the same room and have a fairly good time was more than okay. Bella would even bring Alice and Jasper along sometimes. With the two extra people, the tension was somehow eased. My theory was that Alice's quick wit kept everyone laughing while Jasper's calming presence made everyone lower their defenses. Whatever it was, it worked.

*****

The day of graduation, I was a nervous wreck. Everything had to go perfectly tonight. Bella would be flying out in just a few days to visit her mother, and by the time she returned, we would not have much time left together before leaving for college. Tonight was my one shot before the rest of the world came crashing in on us.

When it came time for me to walk across the stage, my eyes sought out my favorite pair of brown eyes. Locating her was easy as she was cheering for all she was worth, heedless of the amused snickerings around her. Grinning broadly, I made my way down the steps and back to my seat, Emmett close behind me. I helped him cheer on Rosalie when it was her turn, and he helped me yell for Bella when her name was called.

After the ceremony and the familial congratulations were over, I stole Bella away, tucking her into my car before jetting around to the driver's side. When she looked at me questioningly, I just shook my head and told her to be patient.

Before long, she knew where we were headed. With a knowing smirk, she looked out the window towards the familiar path. Stopping to take a picnic basket out of the trunk before opening her door, I held her hand and escorted her to our meadow. We had been coming so often that we had begun carving out our own little path, barely discernable to the unaware.

Once we broke into the clearing, I led her to the center of the meadow, taking a blanket out of the basket for us to sit on. I heard her slight giggle as she saw what else I was pulling out of the basket. Even though I wanted to give her the gourmet meal she deserved, I had settled for bringing what I knew she would like and feel comfortable with. So instead of a fancy French entrée, I pulled out pizza. Instead of champagne or sparkling cider, I brought soda. And instead of candles, I had a lantern. The last part was more for my own comfort than hers. I had no desire to end the evening at the burn unit in the hospital, or attempting to explain how we had set an entire part of the forest on fire. No, candles simple weren't worth it.

As soon as Bella got over her giggling spell, we tucked in. The pizzas were ones that I had made myself, with a little bit of help from Esme. The result was a crust that quite literally seemed to melt in our mouths, and a perfectly seasoned sauce with just the right amount of toppings. Judging from her appreciative groan, the effort was well worth it.

When we were finished, I cleared everything away, except for one small box. That box was tucked into my pocket, where my fingers would occasionally brush against it nervously, as if to assure themselves of its continued presence. Clearing my throat, I began my speech that I had practiced.

"Bella, I know that you're leaving in a few days, and after that, we'll both be going to college, but I can't let you go without telling you a few things first." I paused for a fortifying breath. "Bella, you've made me happier than I have any right to be. You smile, and the whole world brightens. Everyday, I thank God that He's seen fit to give you to me. I still don't know how you ended up falling in love with me, but I count myself the luckiest man alive that you do. And as much as I don't deserve it, I'll never stop trying to earn your love.

"Bella, I know that we've had our ups and downs, a lot of them, but I think they've just served to make us stronger as a team. Together, I truly believe that we can take on any obstacle. There's no one else I want on my team or by my side." Slowly withdrawing the box from my pocket, I opened it for her. "Bella, will you be my roommate?"

Tears that had been flowing down her cheek were brushed aside as she looked at the silver key nestled in the box. She laughed gently as she took the box from my hand.

"I'd love to." Leaning forward, she kissed me gently.

The apartment was one that was within easy commuting distance of both of our colleges, as we would need to use public transportation for at least the first year or so. As soon as I had found out that we were both planning on accepting scholarships for schools in Chicago, medical school for me and design school for her, I had looked both up to figure the distance between them. Surprisingly, they were not too far apart, and I had asked my cousin who lived there to scout out an apartment in between the two. I figured that either Bella could live with me, or I'd at least be nearer to her if she decided to live on campus. That she had agreed to be my roommate just made the whole plan that much sweeter.

As she kissed me, I had another onslaught of images, just like when my memories came flooding back. These pictures were different, though, because they showed possible futures instead of the past. I saw Bella and I getting married, buying a house, have a few children, housebreaking our first puppy, eating Thanksgiving dinner with Emmett and Rosalie, spending Christmases alternating between our parents' houses. Each and every one of the pictures I wanted desperately to become reality. If I had any say in the matter, they would.

**AN Hope you enjoyed this little outtake. Thanks to SaveMeRob for the idea! I'm not so good at the fluff, so this was about as light as I can be. Tell me what you thought!**


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